Typhoon Phanfone washes away three U.S. airmen, one student missing

World Today

A devastating typhoon has made landfall in central Japan, bringing high winds and torrential rains. The extreme weather caused three U.S. servicemen to be swept away by the high waves in Okinawa.

One serviceman was found dead while the two others remain missing. A college student went missing while after surfing in Kanagawa Prefecture on Sunday afternoon. CCTV’s Wu Haojun reports.

Typhoon Phanfone demonstrated its power as it approached the city of Hamamatsu, some 200 km (124 miles) southwest of Tokyo. It brought strong winds of up to 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour, uprooting trees in their path. Electricity was cut to more than 21,000 households. The life-threatening floods have forced at least 400,000 people to flee the storm’s path.

Phanfone now threatens to inundate Tokyo’s ports and train stations. One of Japan’s main bullet train lines was also suspended between Tokyo and Osaka. Others were delayed, stranding many passengers.